Just us

A whole night away with just my sweetheart. Wow, did we need this trip! We spent a quiet night at the lake. Never even got the boat out! Just conversation and time alone.

One of the highlights was brunch on Sunday at The Spring House. Wow, what a beautiful venue and delicious food. We got to see a sweet friend, Marie, whom I disciple in Atlanta there. What a treat! We walked around the property a bit.

We made a friend in a small shop on the way back where we bought a couple of candles and he insisted on giving us a couple of plants. We talked with him an hour- or two. It's amazing how much time there is to linger when it's just us adults!

It is amazing what a little time away will do for a person! I was so refreshed when we picked up the kids and ready for a new week! I am so thankful for this lake condo get-away that my Dad and Mom share with us!

Making much of Him: Battling Selfishness

“Do you feel loved by God because you believe he makes much of you, or because you believe he frees you and empowers you to enjoy making much of him?”   -John Piper

There have been so many times here lately that I have come face to face with my selfishness. It's staggering. It seems to be the ugliest with my husband. It is easier for me to be self-sacrificing for my children than another adult, apparently. Between my husband's travel schedule and using his gifts and talents at our church, at some point I have become weary and possessive, at least on the inside. My reaction has nothing, though, to do with him and everything to do with my heart.

Even when he is serving God I hesitate to pick up the slack around here.  It is unbelievable to come face-to-face with the motives of my heart.  Along with that ugly, I am always looking out for being taken advantage of.  This is another sign of a selfish heart. Lord, help.

I have figured out a helpful habit. It is actually pretty simple. Give of myself with a cheerful countenance and pray for my heart to follow. Literally I can count on my first reaction when he needs to be away to be selfish almost every time. Therefore, I almost always need to react with the opposite reaction than what is going on in my mind. This choice is not being fake. It is just battling sin! I have had a few friends remark this past week on how kind I am. It is absolutely not my natural reaction, just a choice when I am wise enough to follow through.

Also, with this tendency towards serving self, I realize I need a bigger picture of God. I need more time with Him, pouring the gospel into my heart and mind. I want so desperately to grow in love and wisdom and to truly love others more than myself for the glory of my Savior.  In Christ, there is hope! I am never permanently stuck in my sin! Praise Jesus!

"It may be possible to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbor. The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor's glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken." -C.S. Lewis

Goofball

It seems like between raising three kiddos and his traveling work schedule, many of our conversations these days start with "Could you help me.... or would you pray for ....". Thankful for a night of goofball challenges. "Hey babe, how long can you keep a clothespin on your lip? OHH...try your nose!"  I'll take it.

Long overdue

Date night...why did we wait so long?  All of the kids were at friends. So good to have him all to myself!

Our weekend at the lodge

Our night away was close to perfect.  I enjoyed the gardens, good books, and my camera.  And Andy loved his time on the water.  And in between, it was just us.  What a fabulous, quiet, beautiful time away!

My sweetheart

A few pictures before a date night.  The most AMAZING thing about living in the city is more date nights!

Time together is such a blessing.  I cherish every.single.moment. with this man!

I convinced him to try sushi and he loved it.  We have to wonderful sushi restaurants nearby.

Refreshment

Andy and I had an extraordinary weekend together.  The children spent Friday night with their cousins at Mimi and Papa's house.  We decided to stay home, avoiding the Valentine crowds, and cook our own meal.  We had a delicious meal together with candlelight and wine.  I am so thankful for this special evening together, really enjoying one another romantically.  We need this type of time together as often as possible.  It was pure bliss.  We recounted that this was our 21st Valentine together.  Not all Valentines have found us in such a sweet place in our relationship.  But by the power of Christ alone, our marriage has been and continues to be strong and true and I am looking forward to moving forward together.

Saturday night my sweet teacher-friend had us over, along with three other couples, for a Valentine meal and "The Newlywed Game".  She and her husband served us all night long.  Her entire family is such an example of godly servanthood!  We had such a great time with friends!  And then the newlywed game was hysterical.  Haven't laughed that much in a long time!  It was such a delight to see my closest friends' husbands getting to know one another and laughing together.  They all got along well and seem to have a fun night together!  Andy and I put on our game face for the newlywed game, but came up short.  Our sweet friends won the grand prize- a $50 Bonefish Grill gift card!  So generous and fun!

Last night I came home thinking about how lonely I was just a year and a half ago.  I felt completely misplaced when we left Atlanta for the farm.  And here I am, surrounded by a group of amazing, godly, FUN friends!  This is a good reminder that I can never know what a difference a year will make and to press on through adversity! Praise God!  I am so thankful!

"Love is the greatest refreshment in life."

Pablo Picasso

What happened this summer...in our hearts

The Lord has been so gracious to us this summer.  Last year was really a year of trial and error.  We enrolled the kids at a classical, Christian school an hour away from the farm.  And I went back to teaching, after being at home with the children full-time for 12 years.  It was an amazing, busy, stretching, and at times, difficult year.  But in the end, we knew we had made a good and right decision for our family.

The hardest thing about last year was the commute.  We are up at 5:00 and out the door with the kids by 6:15.  The children really could not be involved in much after school because we had the hour drive back home.  Once we realized that his learning community was excellent for our family and we were committed to it, I began to ask Andy to consider moving closer.  The children were missing so many aspects of school life.  We couldn't go to football games or many birthday parties.  The children were not asked over for play dates.  And Jackson couldn't be involved in many school activities because we had to make the long trip home.  There was very little free time and that was hard.

As we began to discuss and I began to pray, God provided an opportunity for us to live in this house.  It was financially a God-send.  We are currently renting this house for truly next to nothing.  And it is a very nice, roomy house.  We are on top of a mountain with trees surrounding our house.  I am on pins and needles waiting for fall to come so that I can see this yard in all of its glory.  I know it will be amazing.  We are about 20 minutes from school.  The boys each have a best friend within a few minutes from our house.  And Lydia Joy, well she has friends in abundance.

Love this baby girl!

Because of our location, the kids get to each be involved in two extra-curricular activities.  Our Jackson has finally found a sport that he seems to enjoy, cross-country.  And he is auditioning for the school play on Saturday.  Joshua has chosen piano and basketball this year, just like last year.  And Lydie is enrolled in gymnastics at a wonderful gym with friends from school, as well as on a soccer team.  They are going to have so much fun this year!  Another wonderful opportunity we have here is for Jackson to be involved in youth group with his friends.  I know that will be a blessing for him this year and in the years to come!

The children have been to play dates, sleepovers, football games, and birthday parties already.  We spent the last weeks of summer swimming with friends.  They have had birthday parties here at our new house, along with back-to-school parties.  Oh, we have enjoyed living here more than I could have imagined! 



Lydie's class has recess with my class this year!  I snapped this photo of her and her little friend.

It has been a wonderful blessing.  Just before we moved I began to doubt if I could go through with it.  It has been terribly difficult for Andy and I during the months before the move.  We have struggled through the reasons behind God's leading in our life.  We have asked God to give us the same hearts' desires, but he did not.  It seems like the past two years we have desired the exact opposite for our family.  Not feeling the same on so many issues has been so very difficult and I have often felt overwhelmed with sadness.  We have always agreed on every major decision, with unified desires, until it came to moving to the farm.  So it has been really hard to discern God's will.  One Sunday, just before we moved, even though I was so relieved to be moving from the rural area where we lived, I began to question it all.  Even though Andy was willing to move away from the farm, I knew he was disappointed and it was breaking my heart.  I was praying at church, and I felt like the Lord was telling me that the move away from the farm was right, and to let Andy make the sacrifice.  Honestly, the first two weeks after the move I think there was a real spiritual war going on in Andy's heart.  In fact, I packed almost every box, painted the new house myself, and unpacked all the boxes.  I just couldn't handle asking him to help me with this move.  There were days when I think he wanted to go back to the farm and leave us here.  I know he wouldn't do that, but I could tell he wanted to.  I just kept praying and asking God to draw us close together.  But at first, he just seemed angry and distant.  And I completely understand how he was feeling.  But there was nothing I could do but pray.

As the weeks passed, God softened his heart.  He told me one day that he was so thankful to be living here in the town where I grew up.  He said it was a great town and it felt like home!  I think the distance allowed him to see just how strange and isolated the town is where we have the farm.  He began to be able to joke about it and understand my point of view.  God began to give him more experiences to spend time with the people we know and love as we visited churches and went to more social outings together.  He began to see why this community is so special to the kids and me.  I think he will have some deep friendships here before long.  Andy went to pick up Jackson from football games and dances, cross country practices and birthday parties, and he began to see how special these times were for making memories and forging friendships.  And slowly, I think we have finally come to a place where our desires are for the same things again.  I think we are both committed to this school, city, and community.  There are no words for the amount of praise and tears I have shed over the work that God has done after a long, hard 2 years.  I love my husband and want him to experience every good thing.  It has been so difficult to not have the same vision.  Even though we have both been committed one another and to obedience to Jesus, there has been a rift.  And I am thankful that we came through that season, not without sin completely, but having seen the Lord's faithfulness and steadfast love for us.  And our love for one another abounds, because of Him.  I am so thankful that our marriage is not just about a relationship with each other, but it's tightly woven into our relationship with Christ- with that strong cord often holding together what might have otherwise unraveled.  He is faithful!

Sweet friends at Josh's party!

A few weeks ago Andy came home from the farm and said he has decided to sell the majority of the farm.  He wants to keep a portion of it for our family.  But he will sell most of it and he will not be farming any more.  There were several reasons that he made such a decision.  The main one is that his back has been a daily source of pain, anguish really, and farming is just not possible for him.  This sweet man is in pain 100% of the time.  His surgery in December went well.  The x-rays look like he is healing perfectly.  But the pain is excruciating, often running into his hips and legs.  He has a doctor's appointment tomorrow to get a CAT scan.  We are praying for answers.  But either way, farming is just not the type of work he can continue.  I think six months ago he simply would not have been able to surrender the farm.  But the Lord has been gracious to slowly transition him away from it, and Andy has been able to step back and see that it is not going to be able to work.  He is still sad, but also he is at peace and hopeful.  God has already dropped an opportunity for him into his lap, as he always has when Andy was looking for a new job.  He has an interview next week.  The farm went on the market last week.  Things are moving along.

Lydie cheering at an Auburn game.  Love those last minute trips to our alma mater!

So here we are.  Just waiting on the Lord and looking forward to all that he has for us up ahead.  I am in charge of the faculty prayer meeting this year.  And on Monday I read an excerpt from one of Spurgeon's sermons and wept like a baby.  It spoke of the Lord's kindness in having a personal relationship with us...inclining his ear towards us, knowing the amount of hairs on our heads, ordering our steps.  Psalm 40 says he "thinks of us".  We are on his heart and mind always.  He inhabits our praises.  And the JOY of knowing that he walks with me and guides me in such a personal way was just more than I could contain! 

Lydie at junior cheer camp with a few of the JV cheerleaders.  What a fun day!

Today I feel closer to my husband than I have in a long while.  We have not have been like-minded these past two years.  But we have sacrificed for one another, loved one another in spite of obvious differences, and held tight to one another when things were extremely difficult.  It has made me so thankful for my husband's faithfulness.  This depth of love can not be found without trials and hardships.  So praise God for all that he has ordained for us, even those rough times.  We are looking forward, in expectation.  We are loving this town, the place where I grew up.  We are loving our school community and being right close to all of our family.  We are loving having a Target down the street again. (Ha!)  We are loving this lavish, three-story brick home that gives us so much space and such beautiful views.  And I am overwhelmed with love for these sweet people that I get to walk through each day with, along with my precious Lord who never leaves me or forsakes me.  What an adventure!

Jack sporting the bow tie just for a fun change. :)

"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." II Chronicles 16:9 
 

Flowers that Andy sent me to school last week.  Sweet, sweet.

 
 
 
 

16th

We have yet to celebrate our anniversary.  Maybe at the end of October?  There has been too much to do, so far.  But these flowers that Andy sent to school were so lovely.  They stayed this beautiful for weeks.  I confess, I did not even buy my sweet man a card this year!  But I can honestly say these have been the most amazing 16 years and I consider our marriage my greatest earthly treasure.  I am so excited to spend this life and eternity with my sweet Andy!

One year on the farm

Yesterday, March 12th, marked our one year anniversary of living on our farm. This year has held many joys and trials that were very monumental, and had nothing at all to do with our living here. For one, my Mom was diagnosed, treated, and consequently found free of cancer. All in 365 days- cancer cells prevalent, cancer cells removed, cancer cells gone. Amazing.

All three of my children have almost completed another grade. They have each found new hobbies, and acquired new skills. My husband has learned how to farm and start a farming business. We have another year of parenting and marriage under our belts, which includes so much!

But truly, this year has been about learning to be content. And, much to my dismay, I often feel like I am no closer today than I was 365 days ago. This year has not only been about learning contentment, but also about learning to compromise, understanding myself better, learning how to give deeply of myself , how to draw boundaries when I am stretched too far, and learning how to deal with my own anger. I have never been so angry in my life as I have been while working through the areas listed above. It's hard, confusing, and frustrating trying to fight my flesh and listen to God. I love Frederick Buechner's words on anger and find them to be perfectly true:

"Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past...to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back- in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you."

from Wishful Thinking

I have learned that waiting on God can be absolutely infuriating if I mean for it to be. And I think in the throws of helplessness, I have often been "the skeleton at the feast." I have learned that although sometimes decisions and actions need to be made, often my fretting over the future is unnecessary and paralyzing. And I often do not have the discernment to know when to act (my tendency) and when to wait (my husband's). I hope I will have more understanding in this area on our second anniversary of farm living!

I have learned one more thing, which may be the most important, or at least the most beautiful. I have learned that God has gifted me with an undying love for my husband. I knew this before, but I know it on a deeper level as it has been put to the test. Like no one else on earth, I long for restoration when we are at odds, affection when we are apart, and compassion when I feel sad or defeated. Even in the midst of utter disagreement, there is this unwavering pull or connection that triumphs. It is unfathomable how God has so closely knit together two hearts, especially when our personalities and interests are polar opposites. I am so thankful to experience this type of intimacy with my Andy.

Even though I am not where I want to be, by a long stretch, I feel differently now than I did a year ago. This beautiful, stinking farm, with the loud chickens, messy yard, always-dirty floors, endless work, and inconvenient location has made me feel more desperate for Christ. I am so small and He is so big. Maybe a larger view of one's own weakness and frailty is often a good thing.

"Your life and my life flow into each other as wave flows into wave, and unless there is peace and joy and freedom for you, there can be no real peace or joy or freedom for me...unless we live for each other and in and through each other, we do not really live very satisfactorily; that there can really be life only where there really is, in just this sense, love."

Frederick Buechner, The Magnificent Defeat

Wendell Berry

On Monday night I gave Andy an early birthday present. We went out to dinner and then to hear Wendell Berry speak at a university nearby. Andy is a big fan of Mr. Berry's books. If you have read them you know that many are set on farms or in rural settings. He writes essays, short stories, and poems and they are very unique, simple, and beautiful. These words could be used to describe Andy, as well: unique, simple, beautiful.

I did not take any pictures that night. We were really doing well to do the daily stuff at home, get the kids to grandparents (with packed suitcases) an hour away from home, and make it to dinner and then the university by 7:00. The afternoon was a bit of a whirlwind. And I do not recall ever having a date night on Monday before. But it was a lovely night. So worth the effort!

Mr. Berry spoke of his passion for reading, writing, the outdoors, and sustainable farming. It was quite interesting to hear his simple, but articulate, opinions on the future of our country, big-scale farms, and even religion. I was struck by the way his no-frills life has touched so many.

"We learn from our gardens how to deal with the most urgent question of the time: How much is enough?"

~Wendell Berry

I want that type of success, too. One that gives more than takes. One that gets ahead in life not by stepping on others, but by being servant-leaders. One that values what God has created and is a good steward of those things. I pray that each of us here in our home will use the gifts and talents that God has given us to do, be, and say for the glory to God (and not ourselves).

Trophy wife

I will never be a trophy wife. My precious pregnancies did a number on my body that only a skilled surgeon could erase. And I do not plan on investing my time and money in plastic surgery. Sometimes I find myself thinking about external beauty like a woman who doesn't know the living God, and I feel shame. I do not add up to earthly standards.But I can take care of my body for the glory of the One who created it, and not for the praise of mankind. I fully believe that I need to be a good steward in this area, a better steward. But I will not let my appearance define my worth. I will remember that "charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears that Lord is to be praised." (Proverbs 31) And if I believe this verse, I will invest the majority of my time in those things that I can take to heaven and not in the things that will be left behind. (If I spend the majority of my time thinking about exercise, dieting, or what I want to buy for myself then I have an idol in my heart.) And I will encourage my children to hold the same values because they believe what they see me live. I am so sick of seeing greed and vanity ringing in our eyes and ears at every corner! I do not want to be a part of delivering that message. Life is so much more fulfilling and, ironically, so much more beautiful when we quit focusing on our looks and bank accounts!

I will never be a trophy wife. But I can be a trophy of God's grace in my husband's life, and to the world! And that is beautiful!

Pictured above: Beautiful moments...Memory game with Lydie, picture study of Boticelli's Mother and Child with the boys. Seeking true beauty and finding it!

"My Mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my Mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual, and physical education I received from her." George Washington

14th anniversary

My sweetheart and I celebrated 14 years of marriage this past weekend. (Thank the Lord, because on Sunday morning I woke up with strep throat!) Our anniversary is actually today, but 8 years ago we gave away August 31st as a day to celebrate the birth of our second son! (More on his day later!) I could never express the joy it gives me to be married to Andy. He is incredibly patient, understanding, and giving. He adores us, but always, always seeks to follow Christ and lead us along in that direction. He and I are so completely the same in our convictions, and so completely opposite in personality and hobbies. It makes for a rich, challenging, exciting life together! We've had a whirlwind romance since I met him my very first weekend at college. His depth, integrity, and shyness were so intriguing to me. By Thanksgiving of our freshman year (just before my 18th birthday), he told me for the first time that he wanted me to be his wife (some day). I had developed the deepest friendship with him that I had ever experienced, not to mention electric chemistry. The love letters from those days are so fun to read! We were head over heels, hated to be apart, and thankfully all of our friends were friends. And that was that, we were inseparable all the way through college. Our college memories are golden. When I smell the air in Auburn I get butterflies. So thankful for God's grace and guidance in our lives since that fall of 1993! We have a beautiful life together!

This past weekend we went to a magnificent restaurant called The Craft and then to see The Sound of Music at the fabulous Fox (It was UNBELIEVABLE!). I happened to be in a silly mood all night long. And just before we left the Fox we saw a young couple get engaged just beside us. I had actually wished for that very thing at dinner. So fun and sweet.

I am so honored to spend my days with such an incredible man. He points me to Christ, challenges me, is a wonderful listener, an unbelievable Dad, and so smart and talented. I wake up and go to bed knowing (most of the time, unless I forgetor listen to the Liar) that he is genuinely interested in me, proud and thankful for me, and that I am deeply loved and appreciated. I love you, Andy! Happy anniversary, darling!

Bullies and a six pack (aka a nauseating post)

When Andy and I were dating in college we must have been a bit nauseating to friends and family. We enjoyed a deep connection and passion. We were depressed when we had to be apart for more than a day. We would make the goodnight kiss last for an hour. We wrote letters to one another when summer came and we had to spend the week days apart. I remember taking a trip to Yellowstone with my family my sophomore year in college. Not wanting to hurt my Dad's feelings, I would sneak away to call Andy. I missed him so much after 8 days that it physically ached. I might have cried a time or two. In fact, I might have cried two weekends ago when he was away two days for a hunting trip. Man alive, that's pathetic.

Sadly or blissfully (depending) things haven't changed much. The kids and I stand at the door holding and hugging him a little too long each morning. We ask him at the beginning of every new day, "When will you be back??" We call him and check in after lunch. He and I text prayer requests and updates. And when he travels for work he always calls home with the same statement, "I am MISERABLE."

We really enjoy one another. I can not say this about every year of our marriage, but God has redeemed our relationship and brought beauty and grace from sin and selfishness. There were two years in our marriage that I dreaded hearing his car pull into the driveway. Quite honestly, I hated him. God knows, I am so thankful for mercy. After 13 years, I feel like a teenager who has just tasted love for the first time. (And like someone who is not afraid to bask in it!) My grandparents had the same type of relationship during their 66 year marriage. I don't know if I ever saw them walk together without hands or arms looped. Their lives just intertwined- even til death. I have been thinking about them a lot this week. They would have been married 68 years on Sunday. And now they are in heaven together enjoying their First Love, still sharing the same Passion and journey. Goodness, how beautiful! What a miracle it is to have a deep, meaningul, lasting marriage.

SO, when I want to insist on my own way, feverishly take the lead that belongs to Andy, look to the left or the right and compare our lives to others, or if we have a "dry" week (month, year...) with nothing especially romantic, I hope to remember these moments from today (that gave me butterflies):
:::His prayer: "Lord, make us obsessed with your Word!" (What a man!)

:::He came in from work, and snuck up on me in the kitchen to kiss the top of my shoulder.

:::He texted that he would be home early because I have been sick for the past 4 days and today was a hum-dinger of a day being the first day out of bed. But then he arrived 30 minutes late because his friend needed marriage advice. I didn't see the humor initially. But really, that's my Andy and you gotta love him.

:::As he was telling my son about how to deal with a bully, he began by not giving advice or correction or questioning (as, say for instance, a Mom would). He told his son, with tears welling up, that he was really sorry this had happened to him.

:::The bully situation reminded me of the one time he had to physically protect me. We were in college and a fraternity brother said the "f" word in front of me. Andy asked him to watch his mouth because "he was in the presence of a lady". The guy was humiliated and blurted out, "Are you sure?" Andy grabbed him by the throat, the guy's feet dangling, and assured him that he WAS sure. I stood there a little shocked, mouth gaped, but my honor was protected. And some wonder why I would follow this man to rural Alabama!?!

:::This very manly moment reminds me of the first time I saw his six-pack abs in college. My roommate and I went by his room to see if he and his brother wanted to do something. He was asleep and answered the door in his boxers. W-O-W. Off topic, moving along.

:::No matter how hurt I am by someone else, he reminds me to love boldly and selflessly. There was only one occasion when he asked me to walk away from a friend. And he was right.

:::His kisses still make my stomach sink into my shoes. And when I watch him with our children I feel each time like life is peaking and will never ever get any better. But it does.

**Picture 1: Back in the day; 1995; dating blissfully

**Picture 2: Andy now; 2009; married blissfully

Living lovely on our 13th anniversary

I almost washed my face, put on some Carmex, and dusted off my jeans and shirt from the day for our anniversary date night. Those jeans and shirt, by the way, had been worn for the 30 minute power walk, to take out the trash, clean the litter box, and as a dirty wipe for various dirty hands. So although I respect the idea of jeans and casual lip gloss on a date, my ensemble was NOT pretty.

Then I remembered Living Lovely. Heidi's challenge this week was to "Get out the good stuff!" So, I reluctantly changed into a dress and heals, washed my face AND reapplied my make-up, and warmed up the curling iron. I am not even sure that my very outdoorsy, farm-loving, laid back husband prefers the dressed-up look over the casual one. But the message I was conveying (and actually verbalized so he wouldn't miss it) was,

"You are special and important and worth the extra effort."

We had a wonderful night at a new restaurant that serves organic meat and veggies from local farms. There was laughter, nostalgia, and hand-holding. Being married to my best friend is my greatest earthly joy. I can not believe 13 years have passed already!

When we came home, still feeling awfully romantic and with notions to "continue the date", we found that the kittens had made a litter box out of our credit card statements. And then they had climbed under the sheets with the mess on their paws! That was the most infuriating, hilarious scene I have ever been witness to. But that's another story! Things aren't always romantic around here. I have to savor the moments...while they last!

Magnificent

We were on a marriage retreat this weekend. I am still processing all that we learned. Here is what we saw.


Just a small glimpse into the beauty of it all.

A dozen years already

My man has planned some really wonderful anniversary celebrations over the past few years. Sinking to the pit of despair in our marrriage, as I talked about here, has changed us profoundly in every aspect of our relationship. God took away my selfish expectations and set my heart back on worshiping Him (as opposed to myself or my family). And as a result, family life is such a blessing.

This past Sunday was Toot's birthday and our anniversary, as I mentioned. We have been married a dozen years! My hubs decided to surprise me with a night away. Mimi kept the boys and Nana kept Lydie while he whisked me off for 24 hours to ourselves. He chose the hotel where we spent our wedding night together for our stay. He kept hinting at the weekend by saying, "We are going to a place where we REALLY got to know each other." I was certain it was Auburn, our college town. Now, I get it. :) So we get to the hotel and he tells me he got a slight upgrade to our room. To our surprise, the entire hotel was buzzing with children and pets and completely full due to the evacuation for Hurricane Gustav. Consequently, we were upgraded to the PRESIDENTIAL SUITE.

I have zero experience with this type of luxury. This room normally costs $1500 per night. Can you imagine? We paid a teeny tiny fraction of the cost. But we still received the perks: champagne with strawberries, breakfast in bed, a butler on-call, a two story penthouse complete with private roof deck, the works. We decided to eat out, do a little shopping, and spend the rest of the time enjoying the amazing room. We soaked it all up! What a celebration. I don't deserve to have such an amazing husband (much less such an amazing God), they are both so patient and forgiving with me. But I am thankful and pray for more and more years to enjoy this "one flesh", mysterious relationship. It's so wonderful how something so rich and full continues to multiply.

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorigy the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then , just as Christ accepted you in order to bring praise to God." Romans 15:5-7